Meet the Maker: Hovercrafts, Robots, and Grow Towers, oh my!

By elisa, May 2, 2018

Hovercrafts, Robots and Grow Towers, oh my! We had a chance to chat with Anthony Schmidt, a science teacher at Carl Schurz High School, about the three projects for the Faire: DIY Hovercraft, First Robotics Cyberdoggz, and Grow Towers.

I asked him why he thinks that these projects are important. He explained via email that he wanted to “inspir[e] STEM ideals through making. I really have been trying to encourage engineering principles especially iteration design. which is why I was looking ways to engage the students in that process…I want science at Schurz to be more involved in the aspect of making. I am hoping that I can use this experience to grow that environment at Schurz.”

For Chicago Northside Mini Maker Faire, he and his students will be showcasing three projects. The first will be grow towers, which are “a vertical hydroponics system.” They’ll discuss how they can be used to grow food and other plant forms. The towers had been donated to the school by O’Hare and presents “a unique opportunity” for student learning. Anthony explained that the second project included DIY hovercrafts: It “was a project that was an inspiration from when I was teaching my physics classes, I wanted to share the idea of hovercraft with my students…The hovercraft is a fun way to see the concepts of physics in practice.” The third project will be showcasing Schurz’s FIRST Robotics team Cyberdoggz’s robot from the recent competition, Power Up.

Elisa Shoenberger is a writer and oral historian in Chicago. She has written for Ozy, the Billfold, LoveTV, Rebellious Magazine, the Reset, the City Creatures blog for the Center for Humans and Nature. She is the co-editor and co-founder of the Antelope Magazine. You can check out her blog Not Without Her Bowler Hat.